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Saddest Words, Happiest Words

Aug 082011

Submitted by Gervais Baptist

I just read the saddest words in the Bible. Get ready, here they are: “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” That’s John 6:66. This verse fills me with sorrow as I picture disappointed, disillusioned faces turning away from Jesus, people walking slowly home, not sure what to do next. The verse seems contradictory: how could “disciples” turn back and no longer follow their Teacher? A disciple, by definition, chooses to follow. A disciple commits himself to his Teacher, trusting that the Teacher knows something he does not, something he needs to know and one day hopes to learn. What in the world would cause these followers of Jesus, these so-called disciples, to turn back?

Looking back in chapter six, verses 30 and 31, some in the crowd had asked Jesus to show them a miraculous sign, such as calling manna to fall down from heaven. They dared Jesus to compete with Moses. Jesus answered by calling himself the bread of life. “He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty”(verse 35). This statement caused literal-minded listeners to grumble. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Jesus challenged them further by announcing, in verse 53, that “unless you eat of the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” Imagine grimacing faces, disgusted retorts, and angry confusion. It is as if Jesus said, “Not only do I refuse to perform a miracle to make you believe, I tell you something that will make it harder for you to believe!” This is no circus act, folks. This is your Messiah.

As many of his disciples walked away, Jesus turned to the Twelve. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” (verse 67). Now, get ready to read the happiest words in the Bible: “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the holy one of God.’” (verses 68-69)

I doubt that the Twelve understood what Jesus said about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, any more than the rest of the crowd did. Maybe they were just as disgusted and confused. But the beautiful difference is that they stuck with Jesus anyway. When life does not make sense, do we wander away from the Lord? Or do we stay right beside him, trusting that He is God, He is in charge, and one day it will all make sense? Discipleship is not about perfect understanding; it’s about loyalty. The Lord loved us enough to draw us to Himself. Now will we love Him enough to stay there, even when life is discouraging, confusing, and downright strange?

Kindle Afresh the Gift of God Which is in You

Devotions

Jun 222011

Submitted by Ginger Harrington

For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

2 Timothy 1:6

Have you ever felt a little weary and stale in your life? Have you looked up and realized that what was once a burning fire seems to be cooling down and burning out? As we finish out another year of ministry, some of us may be running on empty, coasting on the fumes of all that God has placed in us for this year. God has so much more for us than coasting to the finish, barely dragging over the finish line. In this simple verse God gives us a key to vitality in ministry as Paul reminds Timothy to “kindle afresh,” the gift of God within him. The word kindle has to do with what ignites and feeds a fire—that which keeps it burning strongly. Kindling produces action as it brings forth fire. When we kindle our spirits with God’s word, His Spirit ignites and brings to life all that He has placed within us.

Kindle afresh. I love the energy that is embedded in this word, which means anew, again. Freshness is found in the Holy Spirit, and it is the result of drinking of the “rivers of living water” that spring up from our innermost being. (John 7:38) Freshness helps dissipate weariness. Freshness brings energy to bring things to completion, while at the same time stirring up creative energy to receive the groundwork for new plans and new works. Open the window of your soul and let the fresh breeze of God’s Spirit, His word, and His blessing blow through and ignite your heart to burn brightly as we continue to shine in the light of His glory.

Open My Eyes That I May See

Devotions

Jan 192011

My father-in-law is a Bible translator for a people group that do not have the complete Bible in their native language yet. I was recently able to have a Skype conversation with him, and a good enough connection to hear roosters crowing in the background. My father-in-law told of his recent visit to an old man between 90 and 100 (no one is quite sure of his exact age) who has been recovering from a broken leg. He was able to read the conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus found in John 3 out loud to the old man in his own language. Praise the Lord for the spread of His Word!

This passage was also covered a couple weeks ago in the church we attend here in Germany. Some of what it contains is probably very familiar to us:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

That verse is so packed with meaning and deservedly well loved! But what about the rest of this chunk of Scripture? I challenge you to read John 3:1-21 several times. Jesus is explaining himself, and when he does this in scripture I am very thankful, but always feel like I require more explanation! I think I will be continuing to learn about this passage for the rest of my life. I pray he continues to reveal himself to you, and others all around the world!

Open my eyes that I may see

Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;

Place in my hands the wonderful key

That shall unclasp and set me free.

– Clara H. Scott

Don't miss the blessing

Leadership Development, Leadership Wednesday, Seasonal teaching

Dec 292010

Kristin Hathaway

But although the world was made through him, the world didn’t recognize him when he came. ~John 1:10

Have you ever asked God for something only to miss the answer? One time my mom was in a gift shop in Mississippi, looking for a gift for a friend. She wanted something that was “uniquely Mississippi.” As she was looking, a man came in selling fresh pecans. My mom said, “No, thank you” and continued to try to find the perfect gift.

As soon as the man left, it occurred to my mom that the man with the pecans was the answer to her prayers. Anyone who has ever been to Mississippi knows that pecans are definitely a “Mississippi” thing. God had sent the answer and she had missed it!

That is exactly what happened when Jesus came to this earth. For years, mankind had been asking for a Messiah; we desperately needed a savior. God sent THE answer, but we had our own ideas of what a “uniquely God” gift would be like, and we almost missed Him.

Don’t miss out because you have your own ideas of what God is going to do. Salvation is the best gift that Christ gave, but there are so many blessings that he wants to give you while you are here on earth. Ask for them; pray specifically. Most importantly, EXPECT him to answer.

Submitted by Kristen Hathaway, PWOCI Central Region President

Feed the Sheep - Love the Sheep- Part 4

regional review

Dec 092010

Submitted by Christine Young, Europe President

In the previous articles I had shared that our mission in Europe is to “feed the sheep” based on Jn 21:15-17. Today I’d like to emphasize the importance of knowing the sheep. Sheep are very interesting creatures and it is no mistake that we are compared to them in the Word. We have a lot in common with sheep. Trust me.

In Phillip Keller’s book, A Shepherd’s Look at Psalm 23, he shares that “sheep do not just ‘take care of themselves’ as some might suppose. They require, more than any other class of livestock, endless attention and meticulous care.” That was news to me. Sheep, more than any other class of livestock, require endless attention and meticulous care? Seriously? I thought they just roamed in the fields all day and we only had to move them occasionally. I was wrong. Sheep are more complicated than that and so are people.

My point today is that we need to know the sheep – the people around us. We don’t get to just walk into people’s lives and have influence without investing our resources of time and concern in them. Do you know the sheep around you or are you just a casual observer with a surface hello? The day that I went out to get pictures of sheep in my village (I live in the Netherlands on the border of Germany, tons of sheep, hence the storyline J), I had brought my digital camera. When I went to turn on the camera and the little audio “bleep” went off, the sheep ran. It wasn’t that loud at all. I was bummed out and not very confident that I would get good pictures. Then the dear shepherd came up alongside of me, with a pail of treats and the sheep came back. They knew the shepherd’s voice and they also knew He was telling them that I was “safe.”

In John 10:25-30 we read:

²⁵Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, ²⁶but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. ²⁷My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all^[^d^]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰I and the Father are one.”

The bottom line here is that God’s sheep know God. They recognize Him and know His voice. They “listen” to Him. There’s another key. Listening. That takes time and sacrifice. Sheep will not follow us if they don’t know us. God is the one who tells them if we are “safe” people. And if we don’t listen to them we really don’t deserve the privilege of speaking to them – they should just run away in a “bleep.”

Freedom from Fear

Devotions

Oct 112010

I was reading a gorgeous old fairy tale to my youngest son recently, about the little duck Shingebiss and the Old North Wind. Although the wind is frigid and daunting, Shingebiss has no worries because his winter provisions and home are secure. I was especially moved by the powerful truths in little Shingebiss’ song:

“You can never frighten me,
One who doesn’t fear is free!”

John 8:36 says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Just like Shingebiss, we have no need to fear any frigid or daunting circumstance or emotion we face, because Christ is our provision, and all of our needs are met in Him. Fear can be the vice-grip of the enemy, even for Christians. In Luke 7, we read of the “sinful” woman who lavishly cleans the feet of Jesus with expensive perfume, and wipes them dry with her hair. Jesus’ response to her is profound, yet subtle. He says, “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (emphasis mine).

Yet how many of us receive Christ’s forgiveness, plus His saving faith, but then walk away still carrying our emotional baggage? Fear is the vice-grip of the enemy, but Christ lives to free us from this tormenting captor. Like that little duck, your provisions and home are secure in Christ. Repent of mistrust, fall on His mercy, and rest in His shadow.
And declare aloud to the enemy, like Shingebiss, “You can never frighten me; One who doesn’t fear is free!”
Psalm 91: 1 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow.

And declare aloud to the enemy, like Shingebiss, “You can never frighten me; One who doesn’t fear is free!”

Psalm 91: 1 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”</strong>

Klumo, Kate, Editor. Tasha Tudor’s Bedtime Book. Platt & Munk Publishers, New York, 1977.

Feed the Sheep: Part I

regional review

Sep 162010

Submitted by Christine Young, Europe President

I’m big on sheep these days. For several months now I’ve been telling sheep stories and now my kids are really tired of hearing my sheep stories and are anxious for me to find a new topic for discussion. It’s become somewhat of a fascination of mine ever since the New Year started and I began asking God, “What is our mission here in Europe?” He said very simply, “feed the sheep.” There began my inquest into the world of sheep as it relates to the ministry of PWOC. I was reminded of an excellent book that I had read years ago, “A Shepherd’s Look at Psalm 23” by Phillip Keller. I had really enjoyed reading the book the first time and thought it wise to take a refresher course in sheep by rereading that book and diving into the Word. It’s been great fun.

The mission statement for PWOC Europe is “feed the sheep.” This is not a new mission or commission. In fact in John 21:15-17 Jesus tells Simon Peter three times to feed the sheep.

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

My thought is that if Jesus says “feed my sheep” and said it three times, we ought to take Him seriously. I think this command, to feed the sheep, is particularly crucial and relevant as we kickoff bible studies and programming for the year. What are you feeding your sheep in your chapter? Is it good food for them? Will it accomplish our first aim, to lead women to Christ? What fields are the sheep in and when do you plan to move them to the new field to eat? What will be in the new field to eat? An interesting fact is that when sheep are born they gain approximately 100 pounds in the first 100 days. Do you see the parallel to the new Christian and how important it is that we are thoughtful about what, where and how much we feed these new sheep? As I gaze across the fields now I can barely tell the baby sheep from the adult sheep. That’s how fast they grow. Let’s all be thoughtful about what we are feeding the sheep.

____

The Europe Regional News is published on the second Thursday of every month. Submit comments or suggestions to: EuropePresident@pwoc.org

Journey of Transformation, Part 20

Life Happens, Life Happens Jesus Answers, Real life stories, Testimonies, Uncategorized

Apr 292010

The Wait Ends

The lab results finally came and they were normal. Soon morphine infused into my IV would provide relief. But the pain got so far ahead of me that two milligrams did nothing to ease it. Four milligrams didn’t work. Six milligrams helped. I had a total of eight. I knew that amount would make me sick.

To the nurse standing next to my lovely black plastic bed I said, “I think I’ll need an anti-nausea medication.” What did he say? “Okay. Let me know if you think you’re gonna throw up.” Then he departed.

Possible responses swirled around my brain with nowhere to land. This is what I should have said: “Okay, no problem. At the moment I sense I’m going to hurl I’ll jump off this bed and go on a nurse hunt. I’m sure I’ll find you in time for you to gather the supplies, get the doctor’s permission, accompany me back to the bed, and inject the medication into my IV. By then the nausea will have subsided and all will be well. I’m sure that’s how this will go down.”

Moments later it all came up. A big splash of water and morphine erupted from my stomach. It landed on the black plastic bed. Since there was no food in my stomach it wasn’t as miserable as barfing after a big meal. Even so, a technician had to clean it up. She was lucky it was fluid, not chunks.

Forgive my sarcasm. I have a hard time with stupidity. Comedian Bill Engvall has it right when he says, “Here’s your sign.” Sometimes people say and do things that just don’t make any sense. Excuse me but vomit won’t wait. When the stomach is ready to expel its contents you don’t have a choice but to let her rip. Any nurse ought to know that.

After my episode of expulsion I understood firsthand why the beds were covered with thick black plastic and not lovely linens. Someone would end up doing a lot of laundry, and who has time for laundry when they’re busy saving lives and killing pain? And at last my pain was killed. There’s nothing like relief from prolonged severe pain.

God can do that in our hearts and souls. He has a way of easing intense heartache so we don’t slide into despair. I would experience this in years to come. For now — October 2001 — I had to tend to my thumb.

Had I been able to see the future this trip to the ER would have seemed like a trip to Disneyland. The worst phase of my transformational journey was on its way.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES:

We live in a desperately broken world. It’s easy to lose hope and enter periods of grief at every turn if we let ourselves. Our only true hope is found in Jesus Christ who has warned us of trials and tribulations, but who also has overcome them — I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

When I feel overcome by suffering or grief, or I’m angry at God, or I don’t feel like praying, I force myself to grab my Bible and open to the Psalms. Supernaturally, as I read, I feel the tension in my body subside and God’s indescribable peace soothes me. Some of my favorites: Psalm 10, 18, 25, 27, 31, 35, 37, 40, 41, 55-57, 91, 103, 139-145. Dive in to the book of Psalms this week and let the Holy Spirit soothe your soul with His peace.

____________________________

Life Happens – Jesus Answers is a weekly column addressing the challenges we face in life, coupled with the presence and grace of Jesus, our One True Source of hope and peace. The column’s author, Laura Firtko, can be reached by email here: LifeHappens@pwoc.org

Prayer Points for March 28-April 3

Prayer Points

Mar 262010

But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man. John 2:24-25

Father, We celebrate Palm Sunday around the world. On that day, You were welcomed and hailed as King. People filled the streets shouting Hosannah! But You knew they would be the same crowd calling for your crucifixion a few days later. Thank you that you know what is in each of us, but you love us and pursue us despite our wayward hearts. Protect us from trusting in man, in the flesh, in worldly wisdom. Fill us with the knowledge of God and the Spirit of Wisdom from your throne. Please forgive us when we plot and strategize, and then ask you to meet our expecations. We lay our expectations and human wisdom on the altar of sacrifice. We come humbly bringing every man and woman we have idolized in ministry or leadership before your throne. Forgive us for trusting in a certain person or church group. Forgive us for trusting ourselves and leaning on our own understanding. These things disappoint us and leave us hurting. Help us to love and forgive people and trust only YOU. You are the only wise and true God. Your Name is Faithful and True. We receive your forgiveness and cleansing. We receive your generous outpouring of godly wisdom. Thank you. In Jesus Trustworthy Name we pray, Amen.

Out with the Old, in with the New

Testimonies

Feb 102010

Submitted by Wendy Olmeda, PWOC Administrative Coordinator, Fort Belvoir

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17 NKJV

There are many worthwhile benefits of living by the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of these benefits perhaps maybe because we’re having difficulty experiencing them, or because we’re so focused on getting rid of sin in our lives. Getting rid of sin is important, but God also wants us to enjoy the fruits of living for him. After all, Jesus came so that we would have life and life more abundantly (John 10:10).

Romans 14:17 reminds us that God’s kingdom is about righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. In our fast-paced and uncertain times, we certainly need peace and joy as we meet the daily challenges of life. Paul prayed in Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Hope is something that we cannot live without. It is an integral part of our faith in God. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The Holy Spirit will help us overflow with hope, and as a result our faith will be strengthened.

When we place our trust (faith) in Jesus, God sends the Holy Spirit to live in us (Ephesians 4:30). The Holy Spirit brings the life-changing power that enables us to live as a truly new person (Romans 8:11). If we respond to the Holy Spirit and cooperate with him, the “new person” in Christ will surely manifest in us (2 Corinthians 5:17). If we do not respond to the Holy Spirit, but rather, continue to live in our old sinful habits we had before we were saved, we’ll continue living like and acting like the our old self, failing to experience the benefits of living by the Spirit. The questions to consider are what fruits of the Holy Spirit have you experienced in your life so far? Are there any that you have not yet experienced?

On January 15^th 2009, I repented of my old self and was baptized into new life in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the presence of my family and Fort Drum PWOC sisters. Today, I continue to thank God for the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit at work within me. If you are struggling to experience the benefits of living by the Holy Spirit, I encourage you to ask God to intervene in your life. Don’t allow the enemy to steal your peace, joy and hope.

My prayer mirrors that of Paul’s “May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in Him, so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Lord Jesus, thank you for the blessings and benefits that are ours through our faith in you. Please strengthen us to live by your laws and crush Satan under our feet. Please fill us with joy and peace in the Holy Spirit so that we overflow with hope and stand strong in our faith. I trust in you. I praise you and thank you. May we truly say through the power of your Holy Spirit “New Year, New Us, Out with the old in with the New” for your glory.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Older Entries

PWOC International Blog

Saddest Words, Happiest Words

Kindle Afresh the Gift of God Which is in You

Open My Eyes That I May See

Don't miss the blessing

Feed the Sheep - Love the Sheep- Part 4

Freedom from Fear

Feed the Sheep: Part I

Journey of Transformation, Part 20

The Wait Ends

Prayer Points for March 28-April 3

Out with the Old, in with the New

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